Dual fingerprint reagents with enhanced sensitivity: 5-methoxy- and 5-methylthioninhydrin

J Forensic Sci. 2008 Mar;53(2):364-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00671.x.

Abstract

"Dual fingerprint reagents" are chemical formulations which produce with latent fingerprints in a single step, impressions that are both colored and fluorescent. Pre-mixed solutions of the two commercially available ninhydrin analogues, 5-methoxyninhydrin (MN) and 5-methylthioninhydrin (MTN) with zinc or cadmium salts, are true dual reagents. They are much more sensitive than the parent dual reagent, ninhydrin/ZnCl(2). The main advantage of the new formulations is that they can be used at room temperature, with no need to cool the sample to liquid nitrogen temperature. At 0.05% concentration, which is 10-fold lower than the common ninhydrin working solution, MTN/ZnCl(2) is as sensitive as DFO in the fluorescence mode and considerably more sensitive in the color mode. MTN is also slightly cheaper than DFO.

MeSH terms

  • Cadmium Compounds
  • Dermatoglyphics*
  • Fluorescence
  • Humans
  • Indicators and Reagents
  • Molecular Structure
  • Ninhydrin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Ninhydrin / chemistry*
  • Specimen Handling
  • Temperature
  • Zinc Compounds

Substances

  • Cadmium Compounds
  • Indicators and Reagents
  • Zinc Compounds
  • Ninhydrin